Experts suggest that sequencing meals correctly can change the way the body digests food and manages blood sugar.
Published Sep 04, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 04, 2025 | 7:00 AM
A food plate showing different items. (iStock)
Synopsis: Experts suggest that sequencing meals correctly can change the way the body digests food and manages blood sugar. They say it would help in blood sugar control, is useful for diabetes prevention and management and improves digestion.
Did you know that the secret to better health doesn’t lie only in what foods you eat, but also in the order in which you eat them? Nutrition experts and gastroenterologists, based on evidence from studies, suggest that sequencing meals correctly can change the way the body digests food and manages blood sugar.
Speaking to South First, Shashikant Iyengar, a metabolic health coach, said: “Studies show that the order in which we eat different foods can affect blood sugar levels.”
“This concept, called food sequencing, suggests that eating fibre and protein before carbohydrates can blunt glucose spikes, improve insulin response, and support better numbers in those with Type 2 diabetes,” he added.
Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, a renowned gastroenterologist from Kochi, explained with a simple example: “What makes us eat more than we need is the early and fast intake of carbohydrates, especially when we are hungry.”
“Imagine sitting down for a meal with three options in front of you: Salads, protein, and carbohydrates such as rice or roti. If you choose the carbs first, you may end up eating more than you need. That’s because the stomach is empty and craving food. Many carbohydrates, especially processed ones, do not induce satiety, which means you keep eating more and more,” he said.
“Ultimately, you consume excess carbs, and the extra calories are converted into fat and stored in various parts of the body,” he added.
Dr Jayadevan further explained how a small change could help regulate food intake: “Now imagine starting the same meal with a bowl of salads, which are mostly fibre and water. By slowly consuming these first, the satiety response kicks in, so you don’t overeat whatever follows.”
“If the salads are followed by protein such as eggs, channa, dal, meat, or fish, you get the nutrients you need, and by the time you reach the carbs, you will eat only what your body requires. Thus, the total calorie intake is lower if you eat salads first. Multiplied over a lifetime, these habits can mean significant differences in body weight,” he added.
The Sequence of Consuming Food to Manage Blood Sugar
Iyengar detailed how food items should be sequenced:
Fibre: Vegetables or fibre-rich food items should be consumed first since they slow gastric emptying and reduce the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream.
Protein and fat: They should be the second preference, as they stimulate hormones like GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1), which further slow digestion, moderate glucose rise, and improve satiety.
Carbohydrates: When eaten at the end, starches and sugars are absorbed more slowly, leading to smaller blood sugar and insulin spikes.
He pointed to a systematic review by Kubota et al. (2020), which found that consuming protein, fat, or fibre before carbs consistently lowered post-meal glucose levels and improved HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) in individuals with Type 2 diabetes.
“Just taking fibre (vegetables) before carbs may lead to lower blood sugar, but it does not enhance Glp-1 secretion, unlike consuming fibre, protein and fats before carbs. This is noted in the study. So a combination of vegetables, fatty-proteins and then carbs is better than just vegetables and carbs,” Iyengar added.
Dr Sweta Adarsh, nutritionist, explained how sequencing works in the body: “Carbs raise blood sugar quickly, depending on their glycemic index. Protein and fat slow digestion, causing steadier or delayed glucose release. Fibre doesn’t raise glucose but improves control by slowing absorption.”
Citing the advantages of following this order, Dr Sudhir Kumar, consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, said, “By doing this, there would be better blood sugar control, which is useful for diabetes prevention and management and improved digestion. Fibre and protein slow the pace, making digestion smoother. It also helps in preventing overeating and supports weight management.”
“Food order does seem to matter. While we don’t need to obsess over it at every meal, a simple habit of ‘veggies and protein first and carbs later’ could go a long way in promoting better health,” he added.
Agreeing with this order, Dr V Mohan, an internationally acclaimed diabetologist and Chairman of the Madras Diabetes and Research Centre, said small shifts can have a big impact.
“Food sequencing can help prevent diabetes in those who have pre-diabetes, and it can also help control diabetes better in those already diagnosed,” Dr Mohan explained.
However, he also cautioned against extremes: “It is good to cut down carbs. Going on a keto diet or reducing carbohydrates to as low as 10 percent will undoubtedly produce quick results, but sustainability is a problem. The solution is not to drastically cut down, but to reduce about 10 percent of carbohydrates and replace them with plant proteins like paneer, tofu, Bengal gram, green gram, and also animal protein such as egg, chicken, and fish.”
“Several studies have shown that reversing the order — starting with green leafy vegetables, then protein, and finally rice or roti — helps in several ways. Protein has a great satiety value; it automatically reduces carbohydrate intake. Fibre and protein also form a coating in the stomach and intestine, slowing down the absorption of carbs, thereby preventing spikes in blood glucose,” Dr Mohan added.
Dr Mohan also shared a trick to moderate food intake: “If you eat a fistful of nuts — whether pistachios, almonds, or groundnuts — about an hour before your main meal, it helps a great deal. Nuts are high in protein, they don’t increase bad cholesterol, and they improve HDL cholesterol. Since you’ve taken them before, you won’t feel very hungry, and satiety improves.”
According to him, these small steps have large public health potential: “These simple tricks and tips can go a long way in controlling not just the diabetes epidemic, but also the obesity epidemic. And when you take carbs, always take whole carbohydrates like brown rice or whole wheat—not refined carbohydrates.”
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
